Anyone used this marketing company?

FanStudioUKFanStudioUK Member Posts: 459
edited January 2012 in Business and Marketing Theory
I would like to know if anyone has any experience with this company?
Are they trust worthy?
https://marketing.comboapp.com/services.html?service=67

Comments

  • FanStudioUKFanStudioUK Member Posts: 459
    bump :)
  • lookoutlookout Member Posts: 3
    Never heard of it but their website seems legit.

    I would consider using them.
  • CloudsClouds Member Posts: 1,599
    edited January 2012
    Hmmmm . . . they write press releases, yet their website is littered with grammar and spelling errors - as well as the occasional use of particularly odd language - and this is for their own website !
  • ultimaultima Member, PRO Posts: 1,207
    yes, i probably won't' use them either. usually good service based firms don't put a price tag that big on entry point, if you know anything about marketing, putting a price tag on things is not the best idea unless that's what you are about.
  • mithraweptmithrawept Member, PRO Posts: 167
    I'm not convinced by the website and I would want to know who I was dealing with. You could always contact a few of the developers featured on the site and see what they thought about them.
  • tieloretielore Member Posts: 30
    I was checking these guys out recently and saw a few things I really didn't think were good.
    First they offer a package where they increase the number of sales of your app by having people (or bots - although they claim they don't use bots) to purchase or download your app. I'm pretty sure that's those wouldn't be considered legit tactics by apple. I also found a bunch of press releases (obviously put out by them but made to look like real articles) where they say they're happy apple is cracking down on people that do black-hat tactics on the appstore, such as Promising developers to get into the top 100 of apps. "That's why we took that guarantee off our site." they say... but if you go to their site, that guarantee is still everywhere.
    I think they're black-hat, and wouldn't trust them... cause apple's watching and none of us want to lose our ability to make a living with this stuff.
  • T8TRG8TRT8TRG8TR Member Posts: 120
    They said Rule the Sky got in 32th place in the app store...

    I agree with @tielore I'd avoid them
  • micksolomicksolo Member Posts: 264
    I'd avoid paying any up fronts to publishers or PR firms - there is no way they can guarantee anything except they send out your press release which you can do yourself If you spend a few days or even hours you can collate a similar size list.

    ______________________________________________________________________________________
    http://www.5MinuteSiesta.com -- Need Help Marketing Your Game?
  • duncansduncans Member Posts: 1
    Do not use ComboApp! They overcharge and do not deliver what they promise! This is from experience...they are so cocky and think extremely highly of themselves and once they take your money, they don't give a damn about your app. They weren't even interested in installing our app to try out and we had paid them to pitch our app to reviewers. Go figure...
  • RPRP Member Posts: 1,990
    Oh yeah you should use Ocean Marketing. The best! Read for yourself, but beware, this rabbit hole is pretty deep!

    http://venturebeat.com/2011/12/27/ocean-marketing-how-to-self-destruct-your-company-with-just-a-few-measly-emails/

  • lycettebroslycettebros Member, PRO Posts: 1,598
    edited June 2013
    hmmm....let me check it out.
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  • lycettebroslycettebros Member, PRO Posts: 1,598
    edited June 2013
    Check out the creepy photos under 'Our Team'. Dressing as 1920's gangsters is not a good marketing move I suggest but hey I could be wrong.

    The site feels weird to me. Personally I would not give them $49,900.00.
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  • BoomshackBarryBoomshackBarry Member Posts: 712
    Oh yeah you should use Ocean Marketing. The best! Read for yourself, but beware, this rabbit hole is pretty deep!

    http://venturebeat.com/2011/12/27/ocean-marketing-how-to-self-destruct-your-company-with-just-a-few-measly-emails/

    I just read that in it's entirety, massively entertaining, thanks for posting it!
    Check out the creepy photos under 'Our Team'. Dressing as 1920's gangsters is not a good marketing move I suggest but hey I could be wrong.

    The site feels weird to me. Personally I would not give them $49,900.00.
    Those photos actually are creepy, doesn't make me want to work with them one bit!
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  • allornothingallornothing Member, PRO Posts: 126
    I've worked on a lot of projects big and small, and my advice to anyone seeking a marketing agency to help with their release should avoid any company which offers deals, packages or advertised their fees up front. They will not do what you think they will do.

    Any marketeer worth their salt, will negotiate a deal based on the projects requirements. You can't say '$99.99' as a flat fee for all projects, because the effort required to push game X rather than game Y varies with the scope, quality, and target demographic of the actual product.

    Also, any marketeer worth their salt will meet before arranging a deal, and *they* will often be the one deciding whose products they wish to push. The good agencies have contacts with press and retail, and they won't just push 'any old rubbish' as they will lose those contacts quickly if they are seen to have a low quality threshold. If they push games which are clearly poor quality, then no one will trust their judgement.

    So yeah, think carefully about marketing. If someone charges 'ONLY $9.99 per APP!' - you can be guaranteed they have no contacts, no impressive track record, and no standards. You can do that yourself for free!
  • Peter_OlafsonPeter_Olafson Member Posts: 301
    I got an email yesterday from them... with grammar/spelling errors. I won't bother replying.
  • ComboApp_AgencyComboApp_Agency Member Posts: 2
    Hi, we see several people have raised multiple issues and so we are going to address them all in a single post.

    @ultima, thank you for sharing your vision!
    Our price tag is regulated by the skills and time invested in the above mentioned services` performance. There is a wide choice of small one-person agencies that offer cheaper services, but be sure that the price reflects the quality of work. We cooperate with publishers and indies - be sure to find a variety of services starting with $89.
    There is no such a thing as usually for a marketing agency pricing strategy, it may go either of these two routes - list a pricing strategy and let potential clients know the prices upfront or don't and negotiate pricing with each client individually. Both approaches are legitimate, with its pros and cons, we chose the first one.

    @mithrawept
    Please be sure to check our case studies and contact our clients: http://www.slideshare.net/ComboApp

    @tielore
    Our Top campaigns are based on heavy advertising campaigns aimed at real people- the practice is allowed by Apple. Be sure to check the article by Dan Moren from Macworld http://www.macworld.com/article/1165254/apple_warns_developers_against_gaming_app_store_rankings.html
    We guarantee the positions we promise. Be sure to notice the service description at the site where we claim we do not work with each developer who wants to get the Top100 campaign, but that we always test the app carefully before we agree to get it to those positions.

    The article suggests a statement on GTekna company part about guarantee removing, not ComboApp's part.
    As to the bunch of press releases you've mentioned it was in fact just one but re-published by a press release distribution service in multiple places. If you consider an interview on MacWorld's magazine a fake article, write about it to MacWord's editors team, signing your email with your real name and a company you represent.

    @T8TRG8TR
    Rule the Sky reached the top positions. Would you please share the proof link that would stand for your claim?

    @micksolo
    Would you please take your time to check our services - we do offer guaranteed results.

    @duncans
    We are very sorry you are not satisfied with our service. Could you please share the details of your campaign with me via yblindiuk@comboapp.com?

    @lycettebros, @BoomshackBarry
    Thanks for the compliment, we'll pass it to the pro photographer who did that photo session for us during the annual celebration party.
    The gangster photos idea is closely related to our head office location - Chicago. If you feel our site is weird, please check the case studies and the credentials.
    In order for us to fit your expectations, would you please share your teams` photos at your sites. We will appreciate the opportunity to learn more about out potential clients and their tastes.

    @allornothing
    We do agree with you and we do keep to these standards.
    We always offer custom campaigns to our clients when they contact us directly.


    @Peter_Olafson
    Would you please forward the message to yblindiuk@comboapp.com? I will appreciate that.
  • lycettebroslycettebros Member, PRO Posts: 1,598

    would you please share your teams` photos at your sites.
    That is a weird thing to say.
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  • GraphicWarehouseGraphicWarehouse Member Posts: 927
    edited June 2013
    Oh yeah you should use Ocean Marketing. The best! Read for yourself, but beware, this rabbit hole is pretty deep!

    http://venturebeat.com/2011/12/27/ocean-marketing-how-to-self-destruct-your-company-with-just-a-few-measly-emails/


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xqV9kx40RG0

    =))
  • ComboApp_AgencyComboApp_Agency Member Posts: 2

    would you please share your teams` photos at your sites.
    That is a weird thing to say.
    Yes, it is a reaction to a weird comment regarding the team photos. We ask for the examples.

    Meanwhile, we have made some `non-gangster` photos. Hope you like them ;)
    http://comboapp.com/blog/?p=1078
  • BoomshackBarryBoomshackBarry Member Posts: 712
    @ComboApp_Agency it's not for @Lycettebros and I to offer you examples of our team photos, we were simply stating our opinions. You are obviously free to run your business however you see fit, however posting a slightly sarcastic retort to our opinions on this forum probably doesn't do much to help your company's credibility, in my opinion.

    This issue is closed as far as I'm concerned. Good luck with your business.
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  • FanStudioUKFanStudioUK Member Posts: 459
    Glad to see that someone finally answered our questions. @ComboApp_Agency I will use your services soon and let everyone know how it went.
  • RPRP Member Posts: 1,990
    Oh yeah you should use Ocean Marketing. The best! Read for yourself, but beware, this rabbit hole is pretty deep!

    http://venturebeat.com/2011/12/27/ocean-marketing-how-to-self-destruct-your-company-with-just-a-few-measly-emails/


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xqV9kx40RG0

    =))

    LOL! Yes. I forgot about this. Awesome. That whole mess is like a couple days of good gaming industry drama.
  • RPRP Member Posts: 1,990
    edited June 2013
    You know, it's nothing I have not seen from other marketers. I meet a few at E3 this year and their services are much more expensive. They all drink from the same well (see the marketer's marketing materials), it's the same horse painted a different color. Reiterated/regurgitated, whatever.


    Some Sources to review:

    http://iphonedevsdk.com/forum/promotion-techniques/81076-comboapp-services.html

    http://www.slideshare.net/ComboApp/comboapp-casestudies2012

    http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/2/prweb9182237.htm

    Spelling errors aside, they seem to get results for some people and they are actively participating with developers, industry, media and news sites.

    You could be spending 20-40k for some marketing firms. ComboApp's pricing is not a bad deal, but not enough client feedback to ensure quality services (reviews are mixed). I'm not saying that they do not hold a high quality philosophy, it's just that there are too many other services out that that are out for a quick buck and don't care about the success of the client and they have better websites ;)

    Kudos to them for addressing it here. At least they care.


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